Goal: Reinstate the season and coach of the youth football team that was punished for kneeling during national anthem in protest of police brutality.

The Beaumont Bulls football team in Beaumont, Texas had its coach suspended and season canceled because the team took a knee during the national anthem in protest of the recent unjust deaths of black men at the hands of police. These 11- and 12-year-olds do not deserve to have their season canceled and coach suspended just because they protested an injustice. Reinstate the season and coach and allow these boys to both play football and exercise their voices.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ignited a nationwide protest when he decided not to stand for the national anthem in order to protest police brutality. This issue resonated with the Beaumont Bulls players, especially after the highly publicized fatal shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. The team asked their coaches if they could join Kaepernick’s protest by taking a knee during the national anthem and, with permission from coaches and league officials, took a knee at their next game.

The team received death threats, and the team’s executive board issued a statement of support for the team and its staff. Yet shortly after, the executive board told the team they could not take a knee at the next game. The team did so anyway, and the board suspended one of the team’s coaches. The team protested the suspension of the coach, and in retaliation the executive board canceled the rest of the team’s season.

The team and their coaches should not be punished for participating in a necessary protest against police brutality and the unjust deaths of black men at the hands of police. Demand the executive board reinstate the coach and the season and support the team’s protest.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Anderson,

You recently gave your team permission to participate in a remarkable protest against police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. After the team received death threats, you even went so far as to issue a statement of support. For some unknown reason, you retracted your support soon after by telling the team they couldn’t take a knee at the next game.

When they defied this ignorant command, you went on to suspend their coach and cancel the rest of their season. This team should not be punished for exercising its voice, especially on an issue as significant as police brutality. I demand you reinstate the coach and the season and support the team.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Fibonacci Blue

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2 Comments

@Neville Bruce How is that fascism? They were given a rule, they chose to break the rule so they have to accept the consequence of that decision. I don’t see anything that is remotely fascist about that.